12/09/2023, 11:41 Beidou 3 – Spacecraft & Satellites

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Beidou 3 (Compass Spacecraft Library

Navigation Satellite System) Spacecraft by Origin

Interplanetary Mission Updates
The Military Space
Bei
dou Commercial Space
- Earth Observation
3M/
Communications
G/I
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llite
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repr
ese
nt
the
orbi
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Image: beidou.gov.cn t of
the third phase of the Chinese Beidou navigation system which uses
satellites in Medium Earth Orbit and Geosynchronous Orbit and is also
known as the Compass Navigation Satellite System. Space Stations
Beidou is already in operation for the Chinese and Asia-Pacific Area with
global availability planned by 2020 when all satellites will have been International Space Station
launched. The China Satellite Navigation Project Center is in charge of Tiangong-1
program management.
Tiangong 2
The concept for a Chinese Navigation System was first presented in 1983.
In 1989, two hosted payloads confirmed the feasibility of operating a dual-
satellite regional navigation system from Geostationary Orbit. Beidou was Crewed Spacecraft
approved as a program in 1993 to provide China with independent access
to regional and global navigation, no longer relying on foreign systems like Soyuz TMA-M
the American GPS and Russian Glonass System. Beidou is the Chinese
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12/09/2023, 11:41 Beidou 3 – Spacecraft & Satellites

na Soyuz MS
me
of Shenzhou
the Orion
Big
Dip
per
con
stell
atio
n
whi
ch
was
use
d in
anci Cargo Spacecraft
ent
navi ATV
Image: CAST gati Cygnus
on to locate the North Star.
Dragon
The Beidou Global Navigation system was outlined for a step-wise H-II Transfer Vehicle
implementation starting with an experimental system consisting of three
satellites in Geostationary Orbit, located above the Chinese territory to Progress M
provide local navigation services. The second phase of the project is the Progress MS
deployment of operational Beidou navigation satellites to initially establish Tianzhou
a regional navigation system before expanding to global coverage, going
through different satellite modifications to keep up with technical
standards. In 2020, full global Beidou coverage will be achieved.
Interplanetary Craft

DSCOVR
ExoMars
Gaia
GRAIL
Hayabusa-2
Juno
LADEE
LISA Pathfinder
Mars Science Laboratory
MAVEN
New Horizons
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OSIRIS-REx

Navigation

Beidou 3
Galileo
Image: CAST Glonass-M
The first generation of experimental Beidou satellites launched in 2000 Glonass K1
(Beidou-1A and 1B) and 2003 (Beidou 1C) – all based on CAST’s DFH-3
Geostationary Bus. Once all satellites had entered station and GPS Block IIF
commissioning was completed in 2004, the regional Beidou navigation IRNSS
system started operations, reaching an accuracy of 20 meters.
Another Beidou-1 satellite was launched into Geostationary Orbit in 2007 to Innovative
ensure the constellation could tolerate one satellite failure and still remain Technology
operational in order to bridge the gap between the experimental and
operational Beidou Systems.
Interplanetary Transport
Beidou terminals were in use in the wake of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake System
and have become a standard piece of equipment for Chinese border IXV – Intermediate
guards. The measurement scheme requires at least two satellites (accuracy Experimental Vehicle
increases with a third and fourth) that are in contact with a user terminal
Quantum Science Satellite
and a central ground station.
Shijian-10
The user terminal receives a signal from one satellite and transmits a signal
that is received by both satellites that relay it to the ground station where
the 2D position of the user is calculated through the time delay of the two
signals which can be processed into a 3D information using a topographic
map in an algorithm that yields the position of the user that is then
transmitted back via the encrypted satellite link. 150 users could be
serviced simultaneously with this type of position retrieval.

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Upgra
ding
from
the
experi
menta
l to
the
opera
tional Spacecraft by Origin
Beido Interplanetary Mission Updates
u
Syste Military Space
m, Commercial Space
China Earth Observation
plans Image: China Institute of Geo-environmental Monitoring
to Communications
launch a total of 35 satellites – five in Geostationary Orbit to provide follow-
on capability for all existing Beidou-1 systems, 27 in Medium Earth Orbit
and three in inclined Geosynchronous Orbits to augment navigation
accuracy.
Beidou will deliver two types of service – a free service that is open for
everyone with a compatible terminal and a licensed service for the Chinese
government for application in military and other purposes. The free service
will provide a position accuracy of 10 meters, speed measurement as
accurate as 0.2m/s and a timing accuracy of 10 nanoseconds. The
restricted service will have a tracking accuracy of 10 centimeters and will
include data transmitted via the signal to deliver information on the status
of the system to operational users.
The first
Beidou-2
satellite
launched in
2007 under
the
designation
Beidou-2G – Image: CAST Compass-M1
to serve as a
testbed for the operational Medium Earth Orbit satellites. It entered a
21,150-Kilometer orbit from where it was used for frequency validation and
signal testing.
The first Beidou-2G satellite was launched in 2009 atop a Long March 3C
rocket, entering its slot to be followed by four additional satellites until
2012. Because the first BD-2G satellite failed early in its planned eight-year
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12/09/2023, 11:41 Beidou 3 – Spacecraft & Satellites

mission, a replacement was sent into orbit in late 2012. These satellites
also use the flight-proven DFH-3 satellite bus and carry a phased array
antenna for the transmission of navigation signals, an S- and L-Band dish
antenna, a C-Band ranging antenna and a laser retroreflector for precise
orbit determination.
In 2010 and 2011, five Beidou-2I satellites were launched atop Long March
3A rockets to enter slots in inclined Geosynchronous Orbits (55°) covering
China and surrounding territories. By the end of 2011, the Beidou-2 system
entered service for operators in China and surrounding territories with an
initial accuracy of 25 meters that was to improve as more satellites were
launched.
In
2012
, two
dual
-
satel
lite
laun
ches
usin
g
the
Lon
g
Marc Asia-Pacific Regional Coverage – Image: CSNPC
h 3B
rock
et
were
con
duct
ed
to
loft
four
Beid
ou-
2M
satel
lites
into
21,5
20-
Kilo Finished Satellite Constellation – Image: beidou.gov.cn
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12/09/2023, 11:41 Beidou 3 – Spacecraft & Satellites

meter orbits at an inclination of 55 degrees. Once these satellites were

declared operational, Beidou navigation services were made available for
the Asia-Pacific Region starting in December 2012.
To expand the system to a Global Navigation Satellite System, CAST
designed three different types of satellites – Beidou-3M satellites to enter
Medium Earth Orbit (27 satellites), Beidou-3I in inclined Geosynchronous
Orbits (3 satellites) and Geostationary Beidou-3G Satellites (5 satellites).
The IGSO and GEO satellites will be launched when the Beidou-2 satellites
in these orbits reach the end of their lives while the Medium Earth Orbit
constellation starts deployment in 2015 to be fully operational by 2020
transitioning from a deployment into a maintenance phase with a few
launches per year like it is done for GPS and Glonass.
The Geostationary Beidou-3G satellites are based on the DFH-3B satellite
bus provided by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) using
heritage components from the flight-proven DFH-3 bus and expanding its
capabilities by supporting more advanced payloads and reducing the
overall weight of the platform. The DFH-3B bus is hexahedral in shape
measuring 2.2 by 2.0 by 3.1 meters in size with a mass of 3,800+ Kilograms.
The Beidou satellites will have a mass around 4,600 Kilograms featuring
two three-segment solar arrays that generate 6,800 Watts of electrical
power stored in batteries and distributed to the various systems and the
payload. The satellite uses state of the art navigation systems including
star and Earth sensors & attitude actuators providing excellent stabilization
on all three axes. Stationkeeping accuracy in Geostationary Orbit is +/-0.05
degrees.
The RDSS (Radio Determination Satellite Service) payload of the Beidou-3G
satellites consists of a high-power S-Band transponder, a low-noise L-Band
amplifier and frequency generator, a phased array L-Band antenna, an L-/S-
Band dish antenna and a C-Band antenna. RDSS uses the original position
retrieval including the central ground station to provide compatibility of the
new system with existing Beidou-1 terminals. The RNSS (Radio Navigation
Satellite Service) payload uses ultra stable timing signals delivered by an
atomic clock to generate L-band signals that are transmitted through an
antenna array.
RNSS also includes an L-band uplink receiver and laser reflector for orbit
determination. This payload works on the same principle as GPS and
Galileo using similar frequency bands.
The five Geostationary Satellites of the Beidou constellation reside in the
following orbital slots: 58.75ºE, 80ºE, 110.5°E, 140°E and 160°E.
Documentation shows that each GEO satellite weighs 4,600 Kilograms
while the IGSO satellites weigh 4,200kg and only generate 6,200 Watts of
power.
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The
thre
e
satel
lites
in
incli
ned
Geo
sync
hron
ous
Orbi
ts
First Beidou 3-M Satellite during Integration – Photo: SASTIND are
near
ly identical to the Beidou-3G spacecraft using the same bus and payloads,
operating from orbital inclinations of 55° with a 120-degree spacing in the
right ascension of ascending node.
The 27 Beidou-3M satellites deployed to a 22,000-Kilometer Medium Earth
Orbit inclined 55° are using a newly developed Navigation Satellite Bus that
is more compact than the large DFH-3 satellite bus but still uses a number
of heritage components to match DFH-3 capabilities & reduce risk. The
three-axis stabilized satellites have a launch mass of 1,014 Kilograms
including 280 Kilograms for the navigation payload, measuring 2.25 by 1.0
by 1.22 meters in size.
Two power-generating solar arrays deliver 1,500 Watts of electrical power
for the satellite systems and navigation payload. The satellites only use the
RNSS communications payload. The MEO segment operates in a 55-degree
orbit with three planes that each host nine satellites to guarantee global
coverage.
The Beidou-3M satellites can be launched as single spacecraft atop the
Long March 3C rocket with YZ-1 upper stage, as pairs on CZ-3B/YZ-1 or
four at a time on Long March 5 plus appropriate upper stage.

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Image: CAST
The Beidou RNSS
operates like the
European Galileo
and American
GPS, also using
similar frequency
bands. The
rubidium atomic
clocks provide
the precise
timing solutions
needed for the
Beidou Rubidium Atomic Clock – Image: beidou.gov.cn calculation of the
time delay from
the moment the signal is sent and the arrival at the receiver which in turn
allows the calculation of the distance to the satellite. Three simultaneous
distance measurements to three different satellites are needed for the
receiver to calculate its precise position.
Beidou uses eight different signals in four bands all in the 1,100 to 1,600
MHz range: B1 (Carrier Frequency: 1561.098MHz / Bandwidth: 4.092MHz /
Modulation: QPSK), B1-2 (1589.742 / 4.092 / QPSK), B2 (1207.140 / 24 /
QPSK), B3 (1268.520 / 24 / QPSK), B1-BOC (1575.42 / 16.368 / MBOC), B2-
BOC (1207.140 / 30.69 / BOC 10,5), B3-BOC (1268.520 / 35.805 / BOC 15,2.5),
L5 (1176.450 / 24 / QPSK).
The ranging code is a Pseudo-Random Noise (PRN) sequence of 0s and 1s
that allow the receiver to determine the signal’s travel time. Data signals
include binary-coded messages containing information on the satellite
ephemeris (position and velocity), clock bias parameters for error
correction, satellite health status and other complementary information.

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Image: China Technical Application Association for Global Positioning System

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